Smoke and Fireworks Bacon-Wrapped Chipotle Burgers
A spicy sweet barbecue sauce and flavorful bacon spark up the taste of this cheeseburger.
Ingredients
- 12 slices good-quality smoky bacon
For the barbecue sauce:
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons dark amber maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika (1/3 palmful)
- Coarse black pepper
- 1 small red onion, sliced and rings separated
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt
- 2 pound ground sirloin or turkey
- 2 tablespoons pureed chipotle in adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
- 12 slices yellow cheddar cheese
- 12 hamburger buns, split
- Crisp lettuce, finely chopped
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
Par-bake the bacon for 10 minutes on a slotted pan or on cooling rack set over baking sheet to render some of the fat. Cool to handle.
Combine the barbecue sauce ingredients in a small pot. Bring to a bubble and reduce the heat to low; cook for 15-20 minutes to thicken.
Place the onion rings in a bowl and dress with salt, pepper and lime juice.
Combine the meat with the chipotle, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and a drizzle of oil. Form six patties.
Heat a double-burner griddle or flat side of a grill pan over medium to medium-high heat.
Cross two slices of bacon on a work surface like an X, then place a burger pattie on top of the X and wrap bacon up and around burger. Repeat to wrap all six burgers. Cook the burgers seam-side down until the bacon is crisp, about 6 minutes. Flip and cook the burgers for six minutes more. Top the burgers with cheese in last minute or so; cover with a loose foil tent to melt.
Arrange a little lettuce on the bun bottoms and top with the burger patties, barbecue sauce, onions and bun tops.
